Like most girls, I like things that look good to me. I like bright colors, beautiful patterns, and a dash of ugly just to make you remember the world isn’t perfect. Throughout my life I’ve attended Catholic Schools. There were times when I was super into it, praying at home, going to mass and accepting everything the priest said, wanting to become a nun etc. But the majority of my life I never felt a real connection to the male God with his white beard floating in the clouds somewhere. However, one figure I always felt comfortable with was La Virgen. So pure (being the virgen and all), so loving, so beautifully depicted. I would love when the Day of the Virgin would come about at our church because ,being located in Santa Ana, so many people came to see her in our church and bring her bouquets of flowers. At St. Jospeh’s church, she had her own corner where a beautiful picture of her hung with a kneeling pad in front of her. I often times just knelt there to examine every part of the picture; the eery horns at her feet, the bright, tiny stars on her shawl, and the serenity in her face. Suffice it to say, she is my favorite woman of all time, but to really get a feel of who I am you have to understand my love for my other favorite women.

. 

When I was younger, my mother had a huge thing for Diego Rivera and his art. The simplicity of his paintings told a great story of Mexican life that my mother loved to have visible for all to see. She even had a head board made out of wood that depicted this beautiful image:

I loved all this artwork, but when my mother introduced me to Frida Kahlo my love quickly shifted. She was a sight to see with her unibrow and stoic face. Most people think she’s hideous, but I regard her as one of the most beautiful women. She endured many hardships, from paralyzing accidents to a very confusing marriage to Diego Rivera, but always did what she wanted. Never succumbing to other’s influence, she painted beautiful and horrendous sights, many being self portraits. She liked pushing the envelope and being free. She toyed with her sexuality instead of accepting the machismo and patriarchal society. To me she is strong, independent, beautiful, and creative.

My final favorite woman of mexican association is none other than the fictional Sirena from the beloved Loteria game.

This was, and forever will be, my favorite game. The beautiful, colorful pictures of the different characters always made me so happy. So much better than “gringo” bingo because it had color and characters like el diablo, el borracho, and la sirena who floated half naked for all to see and admire. For a while I was ashamed to play a game where a woman’s breasts were so visible for even young boys to see; somewhat pornographic and inappropriate. Today, she is my favorite character. Though she is a fictional character and not even fully a woman, she represents mexican femininity for me. She stands (or floats rather) strong with her back straight and her arms in the air looking sexy, but not necessarily doing it to please the players of the game. She isn’t overtly sexual. She is subtle yet powerful like all mexican women, or at least me.